Primetime Ratings, Friday, 3/28/14

CBS won the night in all measures via NCAA basketball.

Speaking of which, game one of the night between Tennessee and Michigan drew a healthy 2.3 demo and over 8 million viewers. Game two (featuring a match-up between two Kentucky teams) did even better, rising to a 3.6 demo and over 10 million total viewers.

Over on the Peacock, a two-hour edition of 'Dateline' rose a tenth to a 1.5. Surprisingly enough, 'Hannibal' did a bit better after 'Dateline' then it usually does after 'Grimm.' Everyone's favorite serial murdering cannibal rose one tenth to a 1.0, his best rating since February's season premiere.

After a few weeks off, ABC's 'Last Man Standing' returned to a 1.4, rising one tenth from its last new outing. 'The Neighbors' rose two tenths to a 1.1, its best number since January. Rise aside, I still don't see the Jami Gertz fronted comedy squeaking out another renewal. '20/20' fell four tenths to a 1.4.

FOX's Friday line-up continued whistling past the graveyard, with 'Rake' setting a new all-time low of 0.4 to start the procession off. The last 'Enlisted' episode to air for the foreseeable future (and likely the last to ever air at all, if we're being realistic) also set a new series low of 0.4.

'Kitchen Nightmares' takes over the 9 p.m. timeslot on April 11, and while four more unaired episodes of 'Enlisted' exist, I doubt they'll see the light of day any time soon. Moving on, 'Raising Hope' (which ends its run with a two-part series finale next Friday) bumped up a tenth to a 0.5. Finally, 'Whose Line is it Anyway' dropped a tenth to a 0.5 for The CW,' while 'Hart of Dixie' matched last week's 0.3.

Key: Broadcast Network - Show Name - 18-49 Rating - 18-49 Share - Total Viewers In Millions

8PM

CBS - NCAA March Madness (Tennessee/Michigan) - 2.3 - 9 - 8.32

NBC - Dateline (N) - 1.5 - 5 - 8.04

ABC - Last Man Standing (N) - 1.4 - 5 - 6.47

CW - Whose Line is it Anyway? (N) - 0.5 - 2 - 1.83

FOX - Rake (N) - 0.4 - 1 - 1.90

8:30PM

ABC - The Neighbors (N) - 1.1 - 4 - 4.17

CW - Whose Line is it Anyway? (R) - 0.5 - 2 - 1.70

9PM

ABC - Shark Tank (R) - 1.3 - 4 - 5.26

FOX - Enlisted (N) - 0.4 - 1 - 1.33

CW - Hart of Dixie (N) - 0.3 - 1 - 0.94

9:30PM

FOX - Raising Hope (N) - 0.5 - 2 - 1.53

10PM

CBS - NCAA March Madness (Kentucky/Louisville) -3.6 - 12 - 10.09

ABC - 20/20 (N) - 1.4 - 4 - 7.27

NBC - Hannibal (N) - 1.0 - 3 - 3.49

Source: Nielsen Media Research

PRIMETIME PROGNOSTICATION

The five main factors I consider when making a prediction are thus:

1. Does the show win its timeslot, and how often? (CW shows are exempt from this criteria.)

2. How do the show's ratings compare to similar programs on the same network? (Self explanatory.)

3. How long has the show been on the air? (Veteran series are always more likely to get renewed.)

4. Does the show have any high-profile leads? (Never discount star power.)

5. How much does the show cost to make? (Approximately, exact TV budgets are hard to come by.)

Note: Ratings expectations for shows airing on Friday night are generally lower.

Last Man Standing - Guaranteed Renewal

The Neighbors - Guaranteed Cancellation

Hawaii Five-0 - Guaranteed Renewal Renewed 3/13/14 *Correct Prediction

Blue Bloods - Guaranteed Renewal Renewed 3/13/14 *Correct Prediction

Hart of Dixie - Likely Renewal

Rake - Guaranteed Cancellation

Enlisted - Guaranteed Cancellation

Raising Hope - Guaranteed Cancellation Canceled 3/10/14 *Correct Prediction

Grimm - Guaranteed Renewal Renewed 3/19/14 *Correct Prediction

Hannibal - Likely Renewal

Prediction Stats

Shows correctly predicted (so far) - 22
ABC - Mind Games, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland
CBS - 2 Broke Girls, The Big Bang Theory, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, CSI, Elementary, The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-0, The Millers, NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles, Person of Interest, Two and a Half Men
FOX - Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, Raising Hope
NBC - Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Grimm, Parks and Recreation

Shows incorrectly predicted (so far) - 3 - The Following, The Mindy Project, Mom

Current accuracy rate: 88%